Spain · Demolished
Castillo de San Cristóbal
The Castle of San Cristóbal was the principal defensive fortification for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, first built from 1575 and brought into service in 1577. It was a square coastal fort with a rampart at each corner, demolished in 1928 and later rediscovered under the Plaza de España in 2006; its remains are displayed in an underground gallery and the site houses the historic 'El Tigre' cannon.
First raised
1575
Its prime
1797
Today
Demolished
As it stood in 1797
What Castillo de San Cristóbal looked like in its prime.
A low, square coastal fort rising directly from a reef at Bias Díaz Cove with a rampart at each corner; thick curtain walls of large, squared dark volcanic ashlar blocks with gun embrasures set into them. The roofline is a flat battlemented parapet rather than tall towers, with cannons mounted on wooden carriages along the gun deck. The fort sits beside Santa Cruz harbour, built to present a compact, heavily armed silhouette to the sea.
Its story
The story of Castillo de San Cristóbal.
Construction of San Cristóbal began in 1575 under Governor Álvarez de Fonseca, and the fort entered service on 20 January 1577, the first fortification of significance on Tenerife and the main defensive work on Santa Cruz Bay. A square coastal fort with a rampart at each corner, it served as residence of the Captains General and Governors and as seat of the Military Government; the central Castle Street still carries its name.
Its museum houses the famous "Cañón Tigre", the cannon whose shot fractured Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson's right arm in multiple places on 25 July 1797, the wound that cost him the arm.
The castle was demolished in 1928 to make way for the Plaza de España, its remains buried beneath the square until refurbishment works uncovered them on 28 June 2006. A few walls of the original building are now on display in a tunnel under the plaza.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1797.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at Castillo de San Cristóbal, including 2 interiors: governor's quarters / military office, corner of original wall (site now under the plaza). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Castillo de San Cristóbal on paper: the measured plan and period views.
The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.
40. Fuerte de San Cristóbal
-1877 · Ajuntament de Girona (via Europeana)
Public domain
